Apparatus, system and method for a bidirectional search engine and its applications

ABSTRACT

A ‘bi-directional search and match’ system, and apparatus, or match engine, is presented along with a detailed process or algorithm for execution of the same. In this construct, a relational database, supported by appropriate software modules for other functions receives search queries from users and converts them into numerical codes that are automatically and continuously matched against the search criteria provided by other users. The match engine continues with the match process at a pre-set time interval and automatically alerts the concerned users every time a match is found or as requested by the user. A user is enabled to initiate a range of follow-up actions when at least one matching criteria is met.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This present application is a continuation of and claims the benefit ofpriority to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/401,190,filed on Nov. 14, 2014, which claims the benefit of Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/646,745, filed on May 14, 2012, the The benefit under35 USC § 119€ of the United States parent provisional application theentire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present inventive concept relates to the field of a searchapparatus, system and method, for the computer aided searching ofinformation in a database including remote databases accessible throughthe internet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Globally, hundreds of millions of users make several searches every hourof everyday on the internet seeking information on a vast variety offields that include information on real estate, homes, automobiles, jobsand personal relationships. For the searches mentioned above, typicallya user submits the name of the item name or place name or person or anyphrase or an index number or any other information related to the saiditem to a database. Such information referred to as search criteria orsearch string in the context of this invention is presented as a queryto a remote database through a user interface for example like aninternet portal.

Such an internet portal can be accessed through a desk top personalcomputer, a network computer, a laptop computer, and a mobile internetdevice like a tablet personal computer or a mobile telephone.

Once a query is made or a search string is submitted to the database,the database looks for all the entries in the database that match withthe search criteria and returns the results to the user through the userinterface. In the context of this invention, searches conforming to thismethod of search are referred to as uni-directional searches.

A large number of methods and algorithms are known in the prior art formaking such uni-directional searches efficiently.

Methods for automatically updating the information available in adatabase, based on inputs by multiple users on a real time basis is alsoknown in the prior art.

However, the uni-directional search methods impart a serious impedimentto the user. For example, a user seeking for a job opportunity typicallyaccesses a job-search website and submits certain keywords or searchstrings related to the job sought and gets the results that areavailable with the database at that particular point of time. This istrue for the search on an automobile or a home or a personalrelationship.

When the database is updated at a later time with new information bysome other user or the database administrator, in the prior art methods,the updated information is not readily and automatically available tothe original searcher except through accessing the database at frequentintervals and checking for any new updates.

Limited ‘alert’ services are known in the prior art when a user isalerted by an email or a text message when a matching criterion is thathe or she placed in a database is met.

However, such alert services are vastly in-effective because they arelimited to one particular database owner thus forcing the informationseeker to register with multiple information providers. The examples ofsuch alert services are users getting an email with the links from aparticular newspaper, journal or a website.

The limitation of the prior-art methods arises from the uni-directionalnature of the search treating information seeker as the ‘seeker’ and thedatabase as the single information provider, notwithstanding the factthat the database can be updated on a real time basis by multiple users.

The method described in this invention disclosure, named as‘Multi-directional Match Engine’ eliminates this shortcoming by makingall the users as ‘information seekers’ and dynamically matches thecriteria of one particular information seeker with information providedby other users making the match on a pre-set criteria selected by theindividual users.

Even though, the method in the above paragraph is named as ‘MultiDirectional Match Engine’ a vast majority of the search processesinvolve a two way match for most of the searches. The algorithmdescribed here in terms of examples and figures is considered a‘bi-directional match’ as an example and the term is used as a sub-setof a multi-directional match. Those familiar with the art can veryeasily relate or extend one to the other.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention describes a bi-directional match engine,essentially a system consisting of a new method and algorithm for asoftware that can be run on a computer managing a dynamic database.

The current invention is based on a simple but hitherto overlooked factthat most of the information searches involve an information searcher orseeker and an information provider who also seeks someone matchinghis/her criteria. For example, a job seeker always looks for a jobprovider or someone seeking a job candidate on the other end. Similarly,an automobile or a home seller searches for a buyer at the other end whois searching for a seller meeting certain criteria. Such situationapplies also in the case of personal relationships.

Few prior art databases provide a limited match function when searchcriteria is defined and provided as a numerical string or a unique code,directly entered code by the user within a single database. For example,a web based stock trading website accepts buy or sell instructions leftby a user in terms of a stock symbol, number of stocks and the pricerange to buy or sell. But that search is complete and the processterminated once the first match is met.

The core of this invention is a dynamic and universal bi-directionalmatch engine (BDME) that accepts information from users in many formsincluding a simple touch function on a touch screen, converts all theuser inputs into matchable strings, matches them on a continuous basisat frequent time intervals, alerts the users every time a match is madeand take instructions from users on follow-up actions on the searchesmade. Such a system is referred to here variously as BDME, bidirectionalmatch engine, multidirectional match engine or simply a match engine.

In the method described in this invention all the users can be treatedas information seekers or as information providers at the same time eventhough this invention disclosure for the sake clarity or for example,describes at some places or figures, one set of user(s) as informationseeker(s) and the other set of user(s) as information provider(s).Regardless, the algorithm for the match process is unaffected and can beeasily taken care at the coding stage.

In one embodiment of this invention a searcher or seeker provideshis/her search criteria through an user interface in a desktop computeror laptop computer or a network computer or a mobile internet deviceusing the selection of a set of criteria from a drop down menu or atouch button. This search criteria and the user's information isconverted into a bundle of searchable, numerical strings or alphanumericstrings or codes by the computer program and stored in a portion of thedatabase.

Information provided by another user through an user interface in adesktop computer or laptop computer or a network computer or a mobileinternet device using the selection of a set of criteria from a dropdown menu or a touch button. This search criteria and the user'sinformation is converted into a bundle of searchable, numerical stringsor alphanumeric strings or codes by the computer program and stored in aportion of the database

The number of users as defined in the two paragraphs directly above formthe user base and in terms of size that user base can consist of tens ofusers, hundreds, thousands, hundred thousands, millions, hundreds ofmillions or more number of users. The structure of the data base and thecomputer hardware system and the communication system to support suchuser base is scalable and depends on the size of the user base.

The matching core of the database matches the strings or the bundle ofstrings against the strings provided by other users who have providetheir search criteria through the same or a closely resembling set ofstrings and determines whether a match is made or not at each attempt.

Once a ‘match’ is found by the match engine, all the users whose stringsare involved in the match are alerted with a text message placed by theuser and the method of alert (example email or text message) selected bythe individual users. More details are provided in the detaileddescription of the invention and examples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing the construct of the bidirectionalsearch engine or the match engine. The diagram showing multiple usersinteract with the match engine core. The match engine consists ofvarious modules or components only some of which are shown. Thecomponents interact with each other and the user base.

FIG. 2 shows the schematics of the functional core or match core of thebidirectional engine or the match engine. The example shown here is fora case involving single information seeker and multiple informationproviders.

FIG. 3 shows schematics of the data flow for a case involving singleinformation seeker and multiple information providers.

FIG. 4 shows schematics of the data flow for a case involving multipleinformation seekers and a single information provider.

FIG. 5 shows schematics of the data flow for a case involving multipleinformation seekers and multiple information provider.

FIG. 6 shows examples of screen shots of the user interface where auser, in this case seeking to buy an automobile will go through multipletouch buttons to build his or her criteria string.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention described is based on principle that most personalinformation searches on the internet involve a search of bi-directionalnature. The classical search, for example a library user looking forcertain information from a hand book or encyclopedia needs to locate thesaid hand book and look for the information that remains as passiveinformation in the hand book. A user looking for a car, job or apersonal relationship of his preference in the classifieds section of anewspaper also faces a similar situation. He or she has to look at everyclassified advertisement for the criteria listed until an advertisementwith the matching criteria is met. If the desired criteria is not foundthe search continues with the next day's or week's newspaper. This is avery time consuming and laborious process.

The advent of computer and relational databases and the internet hasmade the above process easier. However, the nature of the search issurprisingly similar with same level of inefficiency is finding theright match.

The current invention eliminates the inefficiency in such a computeraided search process by exploiting the bi-directional nature involved inmost searches. For example, a user searching for buying a car searchesthe internet with pre-set criteria like the make, model year, mileagerange, price range among other preferences. There will be multiple userstrying to sell their cars with key characteristics like make, model,color, mileage and price range.

Due to the dynamic nature of the internet based search, in the aboveexample, if multiple users are seeking to buy an automobile based on apre-set criteria, another set of multiple users will exist at the sametime trying to sell automobiles meeting that criteria. This is true forany type of transaction that involves a seeker and provider.

Even though both the buyer and seller are referred to as users in thecontext of this invention and can be used interchangeably, in general, auser contributing a range of criteria is referred to as seeker and auser contributing a concrete set of criteria to the database is referredto as provider. For example, a user seeking to buy a car can search fora car with a range of criteria that defines the make, color and pricerange among others. On the other hand a user trying to sell anautomobile will be able to provide only a concrete set of criteria oncertain items like its make, vintage, color, mileage, etc.

FIG. 1 shows the general construct of the match engine, where multipleusers will interact with the match engine as seekers or providers.

The multi-directional search engine, or the bi-directional search engineor the match engine as is variously referred to in this invention is asoftware program or a software system or a collection of computerprograms functioning in synchronization with each other.

One of the modules of the match engine is a database module thatreceives search criteria as input from multiple users defined as theuser base on a continuous and dynamic basis in real time, and stores theinput in marked areas of the database.

One of the modules of the match engine is a converter module or computerprogram that converts the user information into numeric or alphanumericstrings or codes referred to as search strings.

One of the modules of the match engine is a matching module or a matchcore which is a computer program that matches the search strings of oneuser or set of users against the search strings provided by other useror set of users on a continuous basis at a pre-set time interval.

One of the modules of the match engine is an alerting module or computerprogram that triggers an alert message for the matching users every timea match is found by the matching program and continues with the matchprocess defined in the immediately preceding paragraph.

One of the modules of the match engine is a terminate module or computerprogram that stops the matching process once a pre-set criteria is metor on a specific user input or administrative input to stop.

One of the modules of the match engine is a storage module or computerprogram to handle files stored by each individual user where specificuser files and accessed by the follow-up module.

One of the modules of the match engine is a ‘follow-up’ module orcomputer program that receives and specific commands from a user or agroup of users or the administrator and initiates a specific follow-upaction on one or more files stored in the storage module.

One of the modules of the match engine is a verifier module or computerprogram that functions in synchronization with the match engine andwhich sends an automatic verification message to an user or group ofusers through an email or text message and receives authentication fromthe user or group of users confirm the legitimacy of a user's requestsand information submitted to the match engine.

One of the modules of the match engine is a checking module or acomputer program that functions in synchronization with the match engineand which sends a periodic and automatic check message to an user orgroup of users through an email or text message and receives a responsefrom the user or group of users based on which confirms the ? of aninput data submitted by the user.

One of the modules of the match engine is an ‘usage control’ module orcomputer program that functions in synchronization with the matchengine, the verifier module and the checking module and which sends acommand to the match engine and modify the privileges of a user byenhancing or suspending or removing a part or all of the input datasubmitted by the user.

One of the modules of the match engine is an intervene module or acomputer program that allows an authorized administrator of the matchengine to manually intervene and alter one or more functions of thematch engine, the verifier module, the checking module and the usagecontrol module.

One or more of the modules described above can be combined in any mannerdesired to construct the match engine.

FIG. 2 shows the functional core of the match engine and the algorithmhow the match engine works. For clarity, the case shown here is for asingle seeker looking for information that can be contributed bymultiple providers. In this case, Seeker1 places a set of the criteria(S₁C₁, S₂C₂, . . . S_(n)C_(n)) with the database. At a given time set ofproviders P₁, P₂, P₃ to P_(m) have also placed a set of provider'scriteria (P₁C₁, P₁C₂, . . . P₁C_(n)) to (P_(m)C₁, P_(m)C₂, . . .P_(m)C_(k)) with the database of the match engine.

In one of the major embodiments at the core of the match engine, thecriteria above as contributed by the users are converted as searchablenumerical strings or markers or codes by the converter module, assignedwith appropriate label to identify the user as seeker or provider. Forthe purpose of this disclosure such searchable strings may also bereferred to generally as search strings, strings or ‘markers’.

The match engine, at a given time interval preset by the administratormatches for any correspondence between the seeker's markers and theproviders markers. Condition at which a match is met is represented atin FIG. 2 as S₁C₁=P_(x)C_(y).

When a match is met the condition to give an alert to the seeker andactivate the link for the matching provider or providers is triggered bythe alert module. This matching process eliminates the need for theseeker to manually look at the links of other providers who do not havea matching one.

In one of the embodiments, all the seekers and providers leave an‘access document’ stored in a separate portion or storage module of thematch engine and access is allowed based on permission rules operated bythe match engine.

The ‘access document’ can be additional verbal details, a resume, orpersonal website or social media page an audio file or a video file or acombination of the above.

When no matches are found as described above the match module of theengine waits for a pre-set time t and continues with the match processif any new provider has contributed a matching criteria.

In one of the embodiments the alert can be sent by the match engine asan email or a text message to the users to an address or a mobile phonenumber provided by the users while registering with the database.

In one of the embodiments, the alerted users can be sent further linksor downloadable applications to act further on the match.

In yet another embodiment, the checking module of the match engine maysend periodic requests to the users referred to here as ‘checkers’ toverify their continued interest and availability of the criteria andsuspend the inclusion of the criteria in the match process if anaffirmation is not received. The suspension of a set of criteria isrevoked only if a confirmation is received on a subsequent checker.

In yet another embodiment, the checking module may permanently removethe criteria provided by a user from inclusion in the match process ifno response is received once a pre-set number of checkers are sent tothe user.

FIG. 3 shows the case for the data flow process for collecting thecriteria into the database where a single seeker places criteria S₁C₁ toS₁C_(n) to be matched against the criteria placed by multiple providersP₁, P₂, . . . P_(n). Examples of such a process will be a seeker placingrequirements for an automobile with a range of requirements and multipleindividual sellers or dealers will provide a set of criteria for a largenumber of automobiles.

FIG. 4 shows the case for the data flow process for collecting thecriteria into the database where a single provider places criteria P₁C₁to P₁C_(m) to be matched against the criteria placed by multiple seekerS₁, S₂, . . . S_(n). Examples of such a process will be an employerplacing the requirements for a single job or the specifications of ahome that will be matched against the criteria placed by multipleseekers looking for a job or a home.

FIG. 5 shows the case for the data flow process for collecting thecriteria into the database where a multiple providers P₁, P₂, . . .P_(n) place criteria to be matched against the criteria placed bymultiple seekers S₁, S₂, . . . S_(n). Examples of such a process will beusers looking for personal relationships based on some of their personalpreferences.

Regardless of the above, the basic process in the functional core of thematch engine remains very similar to the process described in FIGS. 1and 2 and can be appropriately modified to suit different situations bythose familiar in the art.

In one of the embodiments, the input from the user can be through apersonal computer connected to the internet by a wired or wirelessnetwork, a laptop or palmtop computer connected to the internet by awired or wireless network, a mobile device connected to the internet bya wired or wireless network, or any such device that can be connected tothe database of the match engine.

The input process for placing the criteria into the database by theusers can be touch screen device where appropriate icons are touched ora drop-down menu selected by clicking a computer mouse or by manualentry of the criteria in a table or emailing of the criteria in acertain format or a combination of one or more of the above.

In one of the embodiments utilizing a touch screen device, touching anappropriate icon adds the criteria into the database and at the sametime leads to the next screen where further selection criteria arepresented.

FIG. 6 shows a non-exhaustive example of screen shots for such a processdescribed above where a user seeks to buy an automobile. In the firstscreen (screen 1) the user selects the icon for CARS by touch or by amouse click. The database updates this input and leads to screen 2. Herethe user is asked to select an action between ‘buy’ and ‘sell’. When theuser in the example selects ‘buy’ the database updated again leading toscreen 4. Here the user will have options to select the preference tobuy from a private seller or a dealer or anyone.

As described above the user can provide all the information that theuser would prefer to state in his buy. Since the preferences are‘criteria’ based rather than a verbal description assigning a numericalcode for each selection and stringing them together at the end will bepossible for the match engine to match against the strings constructedbased on input by other users.

In one of the embodiments, a user with enormous dataset can enter datainto the database, for example an automobile dealer with thousands ofautomobiles to describe can directly input data into a table designed toreflect the selection criteria available to the buyer and in a formatrecognizable by the match-engine database for direct reading. Suchtables can be provided to users with preferred access to the matchengine.

In one of the embodiments users can select the degree of match,expressed as a percentage or number of matching criteria to receive analert.

In yet another embodiment the verifier module of the match engine cansend the user verifying messages referred to as ‘verifiers’ to ensurethey are the authorized users of the email or the telephone number theyregister to receive the alerts from the match engine. The match enginemay include their input into the database only on verification by thisprocess.

In yet another embodiment, the users may be assessed a user fee toaccess the services of the match engine, including a ‘per event fee’ forevery matching alert sent to the user.

In yet another embodiment, a user in the user base can receive for freeor buy a certain number of ‘alerts’ referred to as ‘pings’ from theadministrator of the match engine or a licensed service provider like amobile phone network.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of computer aided searching by aplurality of seeker users of information stored in a database by aplurality of provider users, the method comprising the steps of: (a)wirelessly receiving, at a computing device configured to conductbi-directional searches, a plurality of search criteria as input by theplurality of provider users at respective first external devices andstoring the received search criteria in a first section of a database ofthe computing device in the form of a plurality of alphanumericalstrings selected from a pre-assigned set of alphanumerical strings, eachalphanumerical string in the set of alphanumerical strings having beenpre-assigned to a search criterion; (b) wirelessly receiving at thecomputing device a plurality of search criteria as input by theplurality of seeker users at respective second external devices andstoring the received search criteria in a second section of the databasein the form of a plurality of alphanumerical strings selected from thepre-assigned set of alphanumerical strings; (c) the computing device, ata determined time interval, comparing the plurality of alphanumericalstrings representing the search criteria originally received from theplurality of provider users and stored in the first section of thedatabase against the plurality of alphanumerical strings representingthe search criteria originally received from the plurality of seekerusers and stored in the second section of the database; (d) thecomputing device determining that a match has been found if at least onealphanumerical string from the first section of the database matches atleast one alphanumerical string from the second section of the database;(e) providing matching results to the user within the plurality ofseeker users or the plurality of provider users from which the searchcriteria were originally received when the computing device hasdetermined that a match has been found; (f) transmitting at least one ofa request for a confirmation response of a continued interest in theinput criteria to the plurality of seeker users and a request for aconfirmation response of a continued availability in the input criteriato the plurality of provider users after a predetermined period of timet₁ from the respective inputs; (g) modifying the input criteria of atleast one of the plurality of seeker users or the plurality of providerusers based on a received response to the transmitted request; and (h)waiting for a pre-set time t₂ and then continuing with the matchingprocess of step (c) when any new provider user or new seeker usercontributes new search criteria.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein themodifying of the input search criteria is a suspension of the inputcriteria from being searched.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein themodifying of the input search criteria is a removal of the input searchcriteria from the respective section of the database.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the search criteria received by the computing device isreceived in the form of a plurality of alphanumerical stringspre-converted at the first and second external devices.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein search criteria are converted into the form of aplurality of alphanumerical strings selected from a pre-assigned set ofalphanumerical strings by a program developed in the respective firstand second external devices.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein theprogram developed in the first and second external devices recognizesand converts the input search criteria at a touch screen interfacethereof into the sets of alphanumerical strings.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein search criteria received by the computing device representscharacteristics of an automobile.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinsearch criteria received by the computing device representscharacteristics of work related openings or work seeking candidates. 9.The method of claim 1, wherein search criteria received by the computingdevice represents characteristics of real estate property.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein search criteria received by the computingdevice represents characteristics of a personal relationship.
 11. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising receiving, in response toproviding matching results to a seeker user among the plurality ofseeker users in which search criteria was received, a command from theseeker user to release pre-stored information in a storage module of thecomputing device to only select providers among the matching providerusers.
 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, inresponse to providing matching results to a seeker user among theplurality of seeker users in which search criteria was received, acommand from the seeker user to release an internet link pre-stored in astorage module of the computing device to only select provider usersamong the matching provider users.
 13. A bi-directional search system tosearch criteria provided by a plurality of seeker users and to searchcriteria provided by a plurality of provider users, the bi-directionalsearch system comprising: a computer including: a transceiver configuredto wirelessly receive a plurality of search criteria from a plurality ofprovider users and to wirelessly receive a plurality of search criteriafrom a plurality of seeker users; a database configured to store thesearch criteria received from the plurality of provider users in a firstsection thereof and to store the search criteria received from theplurality of seeker users in a second section thereof, the searchcriteria being stored in a form of a corresponding plurality ofalphanumerical strings selected from a pre-assigned set ofalphanumerical strings, each alphanumerical string in the set ofalphanumerical strings having been pre-assigned to a search criterion;at least one processor configured to: at a determined time interval,compare alphanumerical strings representing the search criteriaoriginally received from at least one provider user and stored in thefirst section of the database against the alphanumerical stringsrepresenting the search criteria originally received from the at leastone seeker user and stored in the second section of the database,determine that a match has been found when at least one alphanumericalstring from the first section of the database matches at least onealphanumerical string from the second section of the database, andtransmit, through the transceiver, matching results to at least one userwithin the at least one seeker user or the at least one provider userfrom which the search criteria was originally received when theprocessor determines that a match has been found, otherwise wait for apre-set time t₁ and then continue the process of comparingalphanumerical strings when any new provider search criteria or newseeker search criteria is received; at least one first external deviceto wirelessly transmit search criteria input thereto from acorresponding at least one provider user; and at least one secondexternal device to wirelessly transmit search criteria input theretofrom a corresponding at least one seeker user.
 14. The system of claim13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:transmit at least one of a request for a confirmation response of acontinued interest in the received search criteria to the at least oneseeker user and a continued availability in the received search criteriato the at least one provider user after a predetermined period of timet₂ after wirelessly receiving the respective search criteria; and modifythe search criteria received from the at least one seeker user or thesearch criteria received from the at least one provider user based onthe confirmation response received.
 15. The system of claim 14, whereinthe modifying of the search criteria received from the at least oneseeker user or the search criteria received from the at least oneprovider user includes one of suspending or removing at least a part ofthe search criteria received.
 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the atleast one first external device and the at least one second externaldevice comprises mobile communication device with a key input interfaceor a touch screen interface to receive search criteria from thecorresponding user.
 17. The system of claim 13, wherein the searchcriteria input to the at least one first and second external devices isselected from at least one of a drop-down menu via a keypad and a dropdown menu of a touch screen.
 18. The system of claim 13, wherein the atleast one first external device and the at least one second externaldevice wirelessly communicate data with the transceiver via either alocal wireless network wirelessly through the Internet.
 19. The systemaccording to claim 13, wherein the computer is one of a desk topcomputer, a network computer, a laptop computer, a mobile computingdevice or a tablet device with an interface to receive a search criteriainput by the user.
 20. The system according to claim 13, wherein inresponse to the transmission of matching results to a seeker user fromwhich search criteria was originally received, the at least one secondexternal device transmits a command to the computer to releasepre-stored information in a storage module of the computer to onlyselect providers among the matching provider users.
 21. The systemaccording to claim 13, wherein in response to the transmission ofmatching results to a seeker user from which search criteria wasoriginally received, the at least one second external device transmits acommand to the computer to release an internet link pre-stored in astorage module of the computer to only select providers among thematching provider users.
 22. A computing apparatus configured to performa bi-directional search of search criteria provided by a plurality ofseeker users and search criteria provided by a plurality of providerusers, the computing apparatus comprising: interface configured toreceive a plurality of search criteria from a plurality of providerusers, to receive a plurality of search criteria from a plurality ofseeker users, and to receive specific input commands from the providerusers and seeker users in response to matching results output by thecomputing apparatus; a database configured to store the search criteriareceived from the plurality of provider users in a first section thereofand to store the search criteria received from the plurality of seekerusers in a second section thereof, the search criteria being stored in aform of a corresponding plurality of alphanumerical strings selectedfrom a pre-assigned set of alphanumerical strings, each alphanumericalstring in the set of alphanumerical strings having been pre-assigned toa search criterion; and at least one processor configured to: at adetermined time interval, compare alphanumerical strings representingthe search criteria originally received from at least one provider userstored in the first section of the database against the alphanumericalstrings representing the search criteria originally received from the atleast one seeker user stored in the second section of the database,determine that a match has been found when at least one alphanumericalstring from the first section of the database matches at least onealphanumerical string from the second section of the database, andoutput matching results to at least one user within the at least oneseeker user or the at least one provider user from which the searchcriteria was originally received when the processor determines that amatch has been found, otherwise wait for a pre-set time t₁ and thencontinue with the comparing alphanumerical strings when any new providersearch criteria or new seeker search criteria is received.
 23. Thecomputing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the interfacecomprises a transceiver configured to wirelessly receive the pluralityof search criteria and commands from the plurality of provider users andto wirelessly receive a plurality of search criteria and commands fromthe plurality of seeker users, and to transmit the output matchingresults to the at least one user within the at least one seeker user orto the at least one provider user from which the search criteria wasoriginally received when the processor determines that a match has beenfound.
 24. The computing apparatus of claim 22, wherein the computingapparatus is one of a desk top computer, a network computer, a laptopcomputer, a mobile computing device or a tablet device.
 25. Thecomputing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:receiving, in response to outputting matching results to a seeker useramong the plurality of seeker users in which search criteria wasreceived, a command from the seeker user to release pre-storedinformation in a storage module of the computing apparatus to onlyselect providers among the matching provider users.
 26. The computingapparatus according to claim 22, further comprising: receiving, inresponse to outputting matching results to a seeker user among theplurality of seeker users in which search criteria was received, acommand from the seeker user to release an internet link pre-stored in astorage module of the computing apparatus to only select provider usersamong the matching provider users.